Malfeasance
by torchestogether
Summary: Lyla is left in the wake of the Second Wizarding World alone and without direction. She finds herself forced to come to terms with the events of the past with someone she thought she could never relate to under normal circumstances.
1. Chapter One: Estranged

**Chapter One: Estranged**

Walking down Diagon Alley isn't quite the same as it was last year. Sure, the shops still have their displays of fancy dress robes and portable cauldrons, but everything just feels bittersweet. Nothing feels quite the same as it did when I was here to do last minute school shopping before boarding the Hogwarts Express.

I don't even know why I stay here. I knew it would make me sad and homesick for my old school. I had graduated last year, which in itself is a bit of a feat, considering all the turmoil that was going on. A lot of the other students in my year had to stay to retake their exams because everything was so chaotic with the war. Everyone kept reminding me how lucky I was to not have fallen behind in my studies.

The Second Wizarding War had just about destroyed the castle and we lost a lot of people, but with Voldemort gone, everyone was more carefree and relaxed these days. It has been like a breath of fresh air for almost everyone. They didn't have to worry about their loved ones going missing or being under the control of the Death Eaters. I can't say that I blame them for trying to make up for the time they lost being suspicious and afraid of everything.

I had lost my parents and sister to the Death Eaters right before the end of the war. They had been trying to smuggle muggle-borns out of England when the Ministry began to spiral out of control. I'm always told that I should be proud; they were heroes and died for a good cause. I know that is true, but it doesn't make it any easier. It doesn't make the victory any less bittersweet.

I didn't even have anywhere to go. I couldn't go to Hogwarts and drown myself in homework at the library. I couldn't go home because our house had been burnt down during the attack. I had intended to go on to work for the Ministry, but after losing everything, I found myself lacking in motivation as well.

I had rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron. I thought being surrounded by crowds of shoppers would be enough to pull me out of my depression and give me a push to get back to my old self. Tom would come up and tell me when someone from the Ministry was at the inn; he had developed a soft spot for me and was always trying to help me find a job.

I had been making money to pay for my room by helping out around the inn every morning before Tom started later in the day. It wasn't too bad. All I had to do was make sure all the guests got their breakfast without sending curses at each other before their tea. After my shift, I go up to the roof of the inn and sit on the ledge. It gives me a good view of the whole street, where I sit and watch the world that I feel isolated from now. I sit and long for the days of buying new school books; the excitement and anticipation of the new school year were experiences that I had taken for granted.

Today was the day that the Hogwarts Express was going to leave the station. Everyone was rushing around to buy the last couple of items on their list. Tomorrow, the crowds would be significantly smaller as the frantic parents go back home.

I watched as a little girl run over to look at the owls, her robes so long they dragged behind her. Her parents ran after her in muggle clothes. She must be a muggle-born. I wondered if things would be much different for her than my muggle-born friends in the past. I bet there was to be a lot of changes at the school.

I was speculating about the future of wizard society and its culture when I saw a figure down below at the ice cream shop. The boy was facing away from me, but his posture caught my attention. He seemed to be mirroring my own mood; slumped down in his seat glumly and keeping his head down to avoid being noticed. I could tell that he seemed to be watching the people walking past like I was. Dressed in all black, he didn't necessarily stick out from the rest of the crowd, but people seemed to be giving him a wide berth as they walked around him.

Something about him seemed familiar, so I watched and waited for him to turn around. After a little while, I grew impatient. This was the first time I was actually interested in something in a while. I had been going through the days in such a fog that I was eager to feel anything at this point.

I took my wand out of my pocket and pointed it at the flowerpot on the window ledge behind him. It was a long distance, but I had always been good at charms. I levitated it for a few seconds to move it a little closer to the back of his chair and then let it drop. The pot shattered loud enough that I could hear it clearly from up on the roof. Startled, the boy jumped up and whirled around. He had his wand out and in a dueling posture like he was ready to fight his invisible attacker. People walking past him steered away from him, shooting nervous looks in his direction.

I recognized that narrow face that was worriedly scanning the area for enemies. I should have known by the shock of white-blonde hair. I had dismissed my suspicion because I had heard that his family had all fled the country after the war. It was none other than Draco Malfoy, the son of the man who ordered the murders of my family.

**I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! I'll be sure to update again ASAP!**


	2. Chapter Two: Plotting

**Chapter Two: Plotting**

What was he doing in Diagon Alley? His family had been some of the biggest supporters of Voldemort for years. Of course, their true motivations were for their own self-preservation and promotion all along; the Malfoys knew when to switch sides when it would benefit them the most. When Voldemort was killed, the Malfoys disappeared amongst the chaos of the castle's wreckage. They knew that their allegiance to Voldemort would not be forgotten and people would be seeking revenge for those who had been killed, so they ran.

During all the trials of the captured Death Eaters, people were speculating about where they might have ended up. They had been wealthy before Voldemort's return, but he had slowly drained their assets to organize his attacks; they had no money and no one would be willing to take them in. Everyone had assumed that they would just stay in hiding, perhaps taking Polyjuice potion to live under a new identity altogether.

Why would he be _here_? And where were the rest of his family? I would have heard if they had been caught or tried for their crimes and there had been no word of it. Surely he wasn't trying to get caught, so why was he out in the open like this?

A mixture of hatred, contempt, and excitement surged through me in a way that frightened me. I wondered if this is how Death Eaters felt. That notion made me stop myself from standing up and running down there to confront him. I wasn't sure if I could control my emotions, much less my magic. I didn't trust myself right now with this newfound rage. To go from the shadows of grief to this focused adrenaline fueled anger was too tempting.

The air around me felt electric. I could feel my hair start to stand up in the static. I hadn't had that happen since I was little. It used to happen when I was little and couldn't control my magic yet. If I had a temper tantrum, by the end of it, I would look like I had been struck by lightning and things nearby would get singed.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. Staring up at the sky, I kept breathing evenly until my muscles started to loosen up and my skin didn't tingle. By the time I was focused again, Malfoy had disappeared from the street below.

I sat up on that roof for another couple of hours. I didn't want to have to go downstairs and pretend to be fine to anyone in the inn. I tried to decide what I should do now. Should I turn him in to the Ministry? Then again, with all the people shopping, he would have been seen and turned in. He must have been pardoned already. I hadn't seen any "wanted" posters for him or heard his name on the roster for missing Death Eaters. Even so, could I just let him go? I felt like I owed it to my family to avenge their deaths in some way. I knew his father had been the one to order their execution, but a terrible part of me thought that going after Draco would be justice; his father would know what it was like to lose someone like I had.

I had never been a spiteful or vengeful person, but losing everyone had changed me; I wasn't the same girl who had gone to Hogwarts and dreamt of all the good she could do with her magic. I had been sorted into Ravenclaw for a reason; I was clever. I could figure out how to make the Malfoy family pay for what they had done and get away with it. I could finish this last loose end and then finally be able to move on with my life.

All I needed was a plan. I did not know where he had gone, but I would track him down. I would figure out how to get to him and what I would do before I even spoke to him to make sure he did not suspect what was to come.

This newfound purpose excited me. I knew it was wrong; my family would not have wanted to see me like this. I would have scared all of the people I used to know. I was a little scared of myself. I just hoped that once I was done, I would be able to find myself again. I hoped it wouldn't change me into the kind of person that we had fought against just a short time ago.

**I know this one is a little short, but the rest will be longer. I just needed this chapter to get to where I wanted to go. **


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